An Unconventional Existence
by Cometas Por El Cielo
Summary: District 5: Children are created for a purpose instead from love. But life isn't all dark and mysterious. Under all of the genetic manipulation is normal people with normal lives. Follow the lives of a small family of the district as life goes on.
1. An Unconventional Creation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. The trilogy belongs to Suzanne Collins.

This story is an idea I got from my oneshot, 'Control.' The beginning won't make too much sense without reading the first section of the oneshot first. It explains the whole genome process there. So if you haven't read 'Control' yet, please read the first section. It's about a paragraph and a half (the first section, I mean.) I was going to make the story about Foxface, but I decided to make it about an OC because it left me more room to play with the character.

This will be written as if the second rebellion never happened and.

* * *

**An Unconventional Creation**

* * *

Date: September 11th, 3333

Location: District 5

Hunger Games year: 245

* * *

Corvus Rylan held his wife's hand as they stepped off the transit bus. They had arrived at the District 5 Research Complex for one specific reason. They approach and enter the building they were supposed to- the eighth building. Andromeda squeezed her husband's hand and whispered into his ear a gentle a command. "Check the paper."

Corvus reached into his pocket and looked at it. "Check for what?"

"What floor? What office?"

"Eleventh floor, office of Dr. Wile." Corvus answered without even really needing to check the paper. This was too important not to commit to memory. He lead his wife to the elevator and pressed the button for the eleventh floor. Andromeda leaned against Corvus like she is too weak to stand; which she had been for the past week. The nerves had certainly gotten the best of her.

Once they stepped out of the elevator, the first office they saw was that of Dr. Wile. The Rylans entered the office and were immediately halted by his secretary. "Wait. Do you have an appointment?"

Corvus showed the secretary his and Andromeda's Capitol-given ID cards. "We are his 5:00 appointment."

The secretary, blonde named Janice Cordett, carefully examined the appointment sheet. "Dr. Wile has been expecting you. Go right in."

Corvus and Andromeda thanked Janice before entering Dr. Wile's consulting room. The doctor greeted them warmly and asked them to have a seat.

"You said my wife's test results came in?" Corvus inquired, massaging his young wife's back.

"Indeed they did." Said Dr. Wile. He was young, but older than Corvus and Andromeda. The doctor had to be twenty-seven at the youngest and thirty at the most. Either one would still be considerably older than the couple he was consulting.

Andromeda pushed the long red hair from her eyes. "And?"

Dr. Wile pushed them across the table. "We have found that you are indeed capable of carrying a child full term and having a successful embryo implant surgery."

"But doctor, if my husband and I go through with this...then it will be our 17th try in four years! We haven't held a child of ours yet!" She replied tearfully.

The young Dr. Wile grinned. "Then I suppose we will have to put our faith in it and hope for the best, Mrs. Rylan."

Corvus ran his fingers through his bronze hair. "Dr. Wile, my wife and I are twenty-two years old. We have gone to this DNA research facility sixteen other times to implant her with DNA for a desirable offspring. Every single time has ended in failure. Doctor, tell me how this time will be any different."

The man looked at the confused young husband and answered, "Tell me how you know it will be the same?"

Corvus Rylan grinned. "Andromeda, please. Please go through with it for me this one last time."

"Corvus-" Andromeda began.

"Andie! Andie listen to me! If this works, if we conceive a successful child this time, he or she could do great things! They could be a victor of the Hunger Games, isn't that what we have always wanted?"

Andromeda didn't know what to say. She wanted to protest and correct Corvus; having a victor child was always _his _dream not hers. But even someone as opposed to the idea as her couldn't pass up the chance. "This is last time Corvus. If this is a failure too we are going to conceive the natural way."

"Whatever you want, Andie." Corvus whispered in her ear, playing with her red hair.

Andromeda turned to Dr. Wile. "We will go through with it."

"Wonderful. I do not want to wait for this process. I have the time and the medical supplies to do this soon. How about I send you two down to the ninth floor to look at the facility's DNA samples today and I will see you here again tomorrow?"

"T-tomorrow?" Andromeda stuttered.

"Yes. Tomorrow. We will implant you with the components needed for the child and we will see what happens with this fetus."

Andromeda nodded and allowed Corvus to escort her out.

* * *

Andromeda grabbed the nearest option book. She and Corvus had an agreement about choosing their baby's DNA donors. Corvus picks the woman and Andromeda picks the man. _What would Corvus want..._ She thought as she flipped through the pages of pictures and information. _He's attractive- oh!- family history of mental illness. Never mind him then. My goodness this is so much harder than I thought it would be. _She finally found a donor she felt confident about. The man was twenty six and had the same bronze hair and skin as Corvus and was a tall man _un_like Corvus was. _Yes. Corvus will approve of this man's child. Even better, this man is the son of two victors and the grandson of three. Our baby will be well-bred._

Corvus was on the other side of the room. _I have to find the most beautiful woman in these option books. A blonde, or perhaps a brunette. Anything but a redhead like my wife. Andie is the only beautiful redhead. _He turned the page for the tenth time. _I changed my mind about that last comment. _He found a beautiful redhead woman. A victor. Her name was Agatha Darnell, victor of the 230th Hunger Games. She was still alive at the time and often donated her eggs and blood to the facility. Egg donors had to donate more often than the sperm donors did and Corvus and Andromeda had run into her at least twice. _Yes. Andie would love to carry Agatha Darnell's child. This baby will be destined to be a victor._

They each memorized the DNA filing number of their choices and got back to Dr. Wile about it. "You want samples F34345 and M0901?" The doctor double checked. Once he got the couple's confirmation he sent his nurse assistant to reserve some samples of the selected donors for tomorrow's implantation surgery. He thanked the couple for choosing him as their doctor and dismissed them.

* * *

The Rylans walked into the facility for the- how many times had they walked through those doors? They were not even keeping count anymore. They knew what floor to go to without even needing to think about it. The twentieth floor. That is where their future was waiting.

"You excited?" Corvus asked Andromeda.

"Scared." She replied, leaning against him as the elevator doors opened.

"This will work this time. I promise."

What happened next was really a blur. The Rylans were both too excited to really think. "You might feel a bit uncomfortable." The nurse warned and she lowered the needle to where it needed to go.

"I know. This is my 17th time." Andromeda said. That still didn't mean it would be comfortable to her. She struggled to keep still as the needle went in, inserting the components of the chosen donors into her body. "Now we wait." She said bravely to her husband.

_This baby has to be a success, it just _has _to. After sixteen failed attempts, don't we deserve it? Out of those sixteen, only four resulted in an actual pregnancy. The other twelve times...well, they never developed right and never registered on a pregnancy test. We're just assuming it never really worked so never resulted in anything. But this time has to be different. _Andromeda smiled at her husband.

_It has to._


	2. An Unwelcome Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. The trilogy belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts! If you read, please review :)

This chapter is short, but the next one will be MUCH longer.

* * *

**An Unwelcome Surprise**

* * *

Date: June 05, 3334

Location: District 5

Hunger Games year: 246

* * *

Andromeda's due date had finally arrived. The sex of the baby was unknown, but Corvus was sure it was a boy. _Of course he would be sure of that. _She thought to herself. She winced as she felt another contraction.

"5 centimeters." A nurse said.

The time between centimeters 5 and 10 passed by so quickly that she didn't even. Realize it until the nurse told her to push. She cried out in pain as she pushed. "One more time!" She pushed once more. "Congratulations. It's a boy." The nurse passed Andromeda the baby boy.

"His name is Draco Elias." Corvus said with an authoritative tone that left no room for debate.

"Um, Mrs. Rylan?" Asked the young nurse.

"What is it?"

"He has a twin."

"What!" She panicked.

"It's okay, it's okay! You just need to push again, push!"

Corvus craned his neck, hoping to see another son. But instead, it was a little girl. A daughter. A useless, helpless daughter. Corvus was angry, but he put on his happy face for his wife. "Her name is Gemini Vega."

"Gemini? As in the constellation?" Andromeda asked tiredly.

"For the meaning. The twins." He explained.

"Oh. I love the name." Those were Andromeda's last words before she became too tired to even open her eyes. She remained awake for several minutes, but fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

Corvus left Andromeda to sleep while he went to see the twins through the glass window in the hospital. He looked at his son with pride and his daughter with disgust.

_Draco Elias Rylan, my son, he will do great things. He is destined to be a victor, destined to awe Panem. One of these days my son, you will be strong. You will rule the arena. Draco, I want you to never mind your sister. Gemini will forever be jealous of you, the older twin, the future victor, the prized child. That's what you are, Draco. My prize._

_But you, Gemini Vega Rylan, you are another story. You have no choice but to grow up beautiful, for I'm afraid that if you are ugly, I will have to arrange an accident causing your death. Ugly or beautiful, it doesn't matter to me, I will confine you to the home. You will be our unpaid maid from the day you can hold a broom. Cruel you say? You haven't seen anything yet. You don't know anything, daughter _dearest_. You are your brother's opposite. I hate you. Daughters can bring their families nothing. What am I to do with you, Gemini Vega Rylan?_


	3. An Unfair Life

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. The trilogy belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts! If you read, please review :)

* * *

**An Unfair Life**

* * *

Date: June 05, 3349

Location: District 5

Hunger Games year: 259

* * *

**Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.**  
**-Abraham Lincoln**

~.*~.*

_Draco Rylan_

~.*~.*

"Boys come in for dinner!" Mama called. My brothers and I raced to the house, tossing our muddy jackets and boots to Gemini, my twin sister. We were the oldest at fifteen. Gem usually didn't complain about chores, not even when they involved the muddy clothes of her brothers.

Papa came into the dining room from his study where he spent most of the day to join us for dinner. He and Mama couldn't be anymore opposite. Mama had long, beautiful red hair that she had to dye at that point in her life to hide the grays and had green eyes and freckles to match. Papa had bronze hair when he was younger, but being a man in his mid-thirties with considerable stress in his life, it was graying. Unlike Mama, Papa was proud of his grays. He always told my brothers and I that it suggested wisdom. I always thought it looked lame, but that just my opinion and a child's opinion doesn't matter. That is another lesson Papa was sure to teach us.

Papa cleared his throat, realizing that everybody was not yet at the table. "A-hem!"

"Oh!" Gemini squeaked, utterly surprised. Papa rarely allows her, Zaniah or Sagitta to sit at the table with the family. Gemini takes her seat next to me.

"Not _you_!" Papa hissed. "Go!"

"Yes Papa." She said in her scared, squeaky voice. Really, she sounded like a cartoon mouse.

"Caelum!" He called the name of the youngest member of our family, four year old Caelum, to the table.

"I comin'!" He shouted, hurrying to the table. He took his seat next to five year old Leo.

Papa nodded to him in approval. He was never really cross with us boys, only my sisters. We began to eat our dinner in silence like every day. Except the girls of course. They had to wait for Mama, Papa and all of us boys to eat before they could eat.

The good part about that was that we had a large family and they could easily find plenty of leftovers.

I suppose everybody is kind of lost until I break the family down. About us children-

I was the oldest, born a mere twenty seconds before my twin sister. My full name was Draco Elias Rylan. My first name came from a constellation but my middle name is just something my father decided on when I was born. My twin sister and I were both delivered by Mama, but neither parents are our biological parents. As was the norm in District 5, our parents selected two suitable DNA donors to create my sister and I. That is why I was freakishly tall while Mama was of average height and Papa was rather short. I had red hair like Mama and the woman who helped contribute to my existence, but I was different because I had hazel eyes instead of Mama's green.

Twenty seconds later, Gemini Vega Rylan was born. Gemini and Vega are both celestial names. Some of the younger boys called her 'Gem,' but Papa insisted I simply call her Gemini. Gemini was a rather odd girl in appearance. Mama and Papa never told us who our donors are but they did tell us their appearances. Gemini's white blonde hair, paler than a sheet skin and very light blue eyes didn't match either of the donors. Gemini was of decent height. She would have been beautiful if she took care of her looks instead of being worked like a slave. I suppose it was never really _her _fault- Papa made all of his daughters work like that- but there is always time for beauty.

The year after Gemini and were born, Mama and Papa went to the DNA facility again to implant Mama with contributions from two other donors. The is why the next child, Scorpius Alfirk Rylan, had dark skin, brown eyes and black hair. Despite fourteen year old Scorpius's different appearance, he was almost as treasured by Papa as I.

Mama and Papa went back again a year later to try the DNA facility again. It was always Papa's request- no- his _requirement _that Mama go so often. She really never had a choice. Papa wasn't very happy with the result from the third set of donors. The child was a girl, my sister, Zaniah "Zannie" Bellatrix Rylan. Despite Zannie's innocent nickname, she was always a wicked child. She never did her chores and always snuk out with firends that she wasn't supposed to have in the first place. None of the girls were supposed to have friends. Zannie was thirteen at the time and was absolutely hellbent on being in the Hunger Games this year. Mama tried to tlak her out of it, but Papa said she can go and die is that is what she wishes. Zannie's looks matched her personality- stringy, oily black hair with green, envious eyes. Yuck.

Because of the "failed" attempt with the facility, Papa insisted he and Mama try the "natural" way. It took two years, but Papa got his wish for another boy along with another girl and a spare boy. Yes, triplets. Mama insisted on picking the names, so she went with Orion (the hunter), Sagitta (the arrow) and Sagittarius (the archer). She did not give them middle names, so tiher first names were simply followed by, "Rylan." Papa treated Sagitta better than his other daughters, probably because she was in a set of triplets. I suppose twins just were not special enough and it took the- at this time I am telling you about- eleven year old triplets for him to treat a daughter well. I envied all three triplets red hair that was the perfect shade of red that was paired with stunning green eyes.

One would _think _Papa would be satisfied, but he wanted more' winning sons' as in sons who could win the Hunger Games. He made Mama try the facility eleven times in three years before they were successful again. That is when eight year old Taurus Volans Rylan came in. Taurus had bronze hair and brown eyes. Papa said they used the same donors as used for Gemini and I, so I always felt a close connection to Taurus.

The second-to-last child was Leo Haedus. He was five and had never really spoken a word. We recently discovered that he had severe Autism, and is capable of speaking but for reason just...doesn't.

Lastly, there was Caelum Rigel Rylan. He was four and was...dare I say it...adorable. He was a the baby of the family and almost as favored as Scorpius and I were.

I wish I could say the same for my twin sister.

"Gemini!" Papa called after we had all finished eating.

"Yes Papa?" Gemini squeaked like her cartoon-mouse self.

"Clean up after dinner, then you and your sisters may eat. Except you, Sagitta. I had your mother prepare something special."

"Um, Papa?" Gemini whispered, rather than squeaked.

"What is it?"

"Aren't you forgetting that today is my birthday?"

He lit a cigarette, took a drag and blew the smoke in her face. "No Gemini, I did not. I just don't care. If you'll recall, we celebrated Draco's birth this afternoon."

"But I was born mere seconds after him!" Gemini began to tear up.

Papa smacked her across the face. "Go upstairs! You will not eat tonight!"

"Yes Papa." She returned to her frightened mouse squeak.

"Corvus, don't you think that was a bit...much?" Mama asks, kissing his cheek.

Papa shoves her away. "Of course not, Andromeda. That child just needs to learn respect!" He spat.

And that was that.


	4. Uneducated

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. The trilogy belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts! If you read, please review :)

Again, I reiterate:

There is a new project in the Hunger Games fandom that I am a part of. The basics of it are that 24 authors each take on one of the 24 tributes to write about in the 24th Hunger Games. The fic is called Tears of Blood, and is posted under the account 24tributes24authors.

My character is the District 4 girl. All of the reaaings are now complete. There is a link to the fic on my profile, towards the top. There is a poll on the 24tributes24authors account called [Which three tributes from "Tears of Blood" do you think should be killed in the bloodbath?] After you check out at least SOME of the repeaing svote for three tributes...but please don't vote for Elia Zervakos (D4F) because that's mine! =]

Yenno, unless you really really hate her...

PLEASE check out that story as well, and if you want, support my character…there's a big surprise coming up about her. Just wait…

ALSO. I'm switching to present tense now. I haaaate past tense XD

I apologize in advance for Bethan's bad grammar.

This chapter is short and not very eventful. This is a filler chapter, really XD

* * *

**Uneducated**

Date: June 06, 3349

Location: District 5

Hunger Games year: 259

* * *

~.*~.*

_Gem Rylan_

~.*~.*

I smooth out a wrinkle in my work uniform and pop a mint into my mouth. Papa pats me on the shoulder to let me know it is time for me to get off. The leather back of the bus seat sticks to my back like an adhesive substance in the hot summer sun as I slide into the aisle.

"Have a good day at work Gemini," Papa says with such artificial paternal tenderness, it's despicable.

"You too Papa," I say with the same happy family façade as I walk down the aisle of the bus.

My family is one of the lucky ones. We can afford the bus passes to take us to work and school instead of walking. District 5 is one of the more modernized districts of Panem, right after Districts 1 and 3.

That being said, my place of work is rather un-modernized. The small, dilapidated building is painted the same shade of purple as the wild phlox flowers with the porch being a deep carmine color. Hanging from the awning, is a sign carved from mahogany wood that reads, "Laundromat." In any other District, his would be odd. A fifteen year old girl in District 1, 9, or even 12 would be going to school today. Not in 5, though.

I used to go to school, but Papa had me drop out at eleven. It is commonplace- nay, expected- for girls in District 5 to drop out of school at a young age and take up a simple trade or task. Despite all of the people that volunteer their time to educate the girls that must drop out, few women in 5 are very literate or articulate.

I am lucky to have stayed in school until I was eleven. My best friend Bethan, who also works at the laundromat, dropped out of school at eight by her stepfather's command. Bethan can write- barely- and her reading skills are improving thanks to tutoring by me.

Bethan is the first to greet me when I walk in. "Oi, Gem! How is you?"

I wince at her grammar slip-up, but don't call her out on it. "Same-old, same-old, Bethan," I say, taking the basket of laundry from her arms. "Whose is this?"

"Uh," she lifts up the folded shirt on top and pulls out the blue service card. She squints her eyes to try to read the surname handwritten on it. "Satch-are-ch-zuk?"

Without me even anything, she knows it is wrong and hand me the card. _Sacharczuk_. "Oh, easy. Sir-har-chuck."

"Yeah, yeah Ms. 6th grade education,"

"Tenth. I study my brother's schoolbooks," I correct her.

Bethan rolls her abnormally large brown eyes at me and jerks her curly brown mane in the direction of the laundry rooms. "We have working to do, come on," she urges. She wasn't exaggerating.

While District 5 may be one of the most modernized of the Districts, it is against the law to have conveniences like washing machines and drying machines in ones own home. As terrible as President Hoxha is, she was right to ban those things. If she hadn't, many more people would be living in poverty today than already do. It is because of this ban that Bethan and I can contribute to our families' incomes. True, people _can _just choose to wash their clothes and linens in the home washtub, but given the fact that families in District 5 are quite large, it is simply easier to drop it off at a laundromat and pick it up in a few hours.

Especially today. Today is the day before the reaping for the 259th Annual Hunger Games.

"Youse guys's Daddy gonna git Draco volunteerin' this year?" Bethan inquires, sorting through the plastic bags full of reaping outfits to wash.

I shake why head, my straight white-blonde whisps dancing about wildly. "Next year is the Quarter Quell. If Draco volunteers that's all on him, but Papa would mch rather have a son win the Quarter Quell."

"So...this year is a maybe. Next year is a for surely?"

"Yeah, for _sure_," I confirm while I correct her. "If Draco does decide to participate this year, then there is no doubt that Scorpius will be tribute next year."

Bethan nods and says, "Better your brothers than any more of mine."

That is when the conversation stops. There is nothing I can say to that other than, "I'm sorry, Beth," and she's heard that millions of times.

Bethan Margary is the daughter of Ronyan Margary, a genetic researcher and Adeliza Yonwin, his schoolboy sweetheart. Dr. Margary and Adeliza never married, but they had four sons, Bethan, and four more sons together all in a six year time period after they both graduated from school. The Margary's were the ideal family. Bethan's father differed from my own in so many ways. He believed in women's education and often condemned people like Papa. Everything changed when Bethan and I were eight.

A couple from the east side of District 5 had gone to him several times for the purpose of genetically fabricated offspring like myself. For seven years, Dr. Margary was happy to comply and each time, there was a successful baby produced. Except for the last time. Something went wrong in the pregnancy and the baby was a stillborn. The father, the brother of a Peacekeeper, blamed Bethan's father and went to his office the next day with the gun he stole from his brother. From what I understand from the Peacekeeper's report, at least five shots were fired before another doctor tackled the man with the gun, accidentally firing the weapon another time and sending the bullet into the gunman's head. Despite the other doctor's efforts to step the gunman in time, it was too late. I've heard mixed versions of the account- he took a bullet to the brain; he took three to the stomach; all five hit him in non-vital places, he just lost too much blood- whatever the real story is, I suppose it doesn't matter. Bethan's father died within minutes on the floor of his office.

Not even six months after Dr. Margary's death, Bethan's mother married William Agnew, a friend of my father's who shares the same Medieval ideas as he- only, much more extreme. Within months, then eight year old Bethan had dropped out of school and her oldest brother Beckett Margary was killed in the arena. It has been seven years since Adeliza Yonwin married Will Agnew, and in those seven years, four of Bethan's eight brothers have met their fate in the arena. Including her twin brother.

She says she doesn't miss her big brother, twin, or two little brothers, but I'm not stupid. Bethan is my best friend, and I see through her mask but don't say anything. Sometimes, it is best to leave it be.

Needless to say, I am relieved when Bethan finally breaks the silence. "Have you seen Ian, lately?"

"Papa actually let me over to his place the other day to hang out. Papa thinks there's something romantic going on," I scoff. "You?"

Ian Finnegan is arguably one of the most popular people in District 5. Ian is the grandson of a victor and has lived in victor's village with his grandfather and siblings since he was five. At eighteen, he is by far the most considerate, intelligent, and comical person I know. Everyone wants to be friends with the Finnegan siblings or date them. Bethan and I used to be best friends with Kiara Finnegan. We met Ian in primary school when we stopped some bullies from beating up Kiara. Someone, Ian became or friend, too. After Bethan and I were forced to drop out of school, Kiara became a total bitch and started calling us, "stupid common people," among other things. Our friendship with Kiara ended, but Ian is still the third installment to our trio.

"We'll see him at the reaping, tomorrow," Is all she offers in reply.

"Speaking of the Finnegan's," I sigh, grabbing a bag of laundry. "Their reaping clothes."

Bethan chuckles and says, "So what do yo think your chances of being reaped tomorrow are?"

I shake my head and say, "Not much. My name is in there four times."

"Mine too," she says quietly.

"I guess we'll just have to see."

"And may the odds..."

"...be _ever _in your favor."

* * *

I just wanted to give a quick snapshot into Gem's daily life before I moved on to the reaping chapter. Still not 100% sure who will be reaped. Draco? Bethan? Gem? Because the QQ is next year, and I was going to have Gem be in that one...meh.


End file.
